Tornado Warning
by Prower Power
Summary: Cream has wanted to take flying lessons in the X Tornado with her favorite fox for a long time, but could their first lesson end up being their last? Who's after them and what do they really want?
1. Tornado Warning

**Tornado Warning**

_**Tails – 14 **_

_**Cream – 13**_

**Chapter 1: Going Up!**

_**(Tails' POV)**_

"Dial by name." I activate the in-flight calling system I installed in the X-Tornado.

"Say a name or the number of who you wish to dial." The voice replies, still sounding a little too computery for my taste.

Gotta remember to fix that when I get back.

"Cream."

"Cream?" The computer questions my choice. "If 'Cream' is correct, please press the off hook switch to dial."

I press the icon near the steering column and quickly hear a dial tone buzz through the plane's speakers.

"Hello?" Cream answers brightly.

"Hi Cream, how are you?" I reply in an upbeat mood as I scan across the still sunny, late afternoon sky ahead.

"I'm pretty good Tails. How about yourself?"

"I'm doing okay. Just taking the X Tornado out for a test run since I installed some new features." I explain as I make a sharp left turn out toward the cliffs that border the bay that surrounds Station Square.

"You mean you're in the X Tornado right now and you're talking to me?" Cream sounds totally surprised.

"Yeah!"

"Tails! You know you shouldn't fly and talk on your cell phone at the same time!" She scolds me.

"No no Cream. I set it up so that the call is coming through the speakers in the plane. My phone is actually sitting in one of the cup holders."

I laugh out loud a little at this.

Cream giggles a little too.

"Well good. I wouldn't want you to have some kind of accident because of that." She tells me, somewhat seriously.

"Have you been up to anything exciting today?" I ask her as I increase my altitude before pulling back and letting the plane coast along calmly at the top of the cliffs as I skirt along the shoreline.

I look through the glass capsule that surrounds the cockpit and see a big flock of seagulls flapping loudly below.

"Not really, just went and checked on things at the Chao Garden and did some shopping. Then Amy and I had lunch at Marine's. That girl can cook!"

I laugh again at this.

"That place has only been open a couple of weeks, right? We'll have to get dinner there sometime."

I almost cringe as soon as I say this.

"I mean…if you want." I barely whisper.

"Of course Tails. I'm just glad Marine has adjusted so well to life here in Station Square. I was so glad she wanted to come and live with us, but I was worried how she would handle being away from Seagull Island and everything she was used to."

"Yeah, I know. I thought she loved that place more than anything." I tell her. "I think she'll do fine though. Especially now that she's got a fishing boat and everything. She'll probably end up being a better builder than me pretty quick."

"Ha! I doubt that Tails." Cream counters me quickly. "You're the smartest boy I know, by far."

I blush and feel proud at the same time as she says that.

"You're still going to come over in a little bit?" Cream says after a second.

"Of course. Can't wait!" I tell her happily.

"I'm so excited Tails! My first flying lesson! I can't wait either!"

"I bet you'll be a natural Cream."

"I don't know about that. With the help of a good coach maybe." She demurely replies.

I sheepishly laugh at her compliment.

"I'll see you then Cream!"

"Ok, be careful Tails! Bye!"

I push the button with a picture of a phone with a slash through it to end the call.

I finish running a few more tests before guiding the plane toward Cream and her Mom's new house out on the outskirts of Station Square.

As I coast in, high over the railroad tracks, I see their house come into view.

It's surrounded by what seems like an endless field of thick green grass, spotted with fuchsia colored lilies. Small hills rise in the distance that lead into the canyons on the edge of the Mystic Ruins where I live.

I was glad to hear that since raising Chao became so popular a few months back, the garden Cream and her Mom ran downtown was doing great business. They were able to move out of the little apartment they were in and buy this huge place out in the country.

I guide the X Tornado softly to the ground not too far behind Cream's house.

I cut off the engine, jump out of the plane, and walk around to the front.

I knock softly two times on the light tan colored door.

Cream quickly opens it and smiles at me warmly.

She looks beautiful in the khaki Capris and orange top she has on with a sky blue beaded necklace resting against her chest and wristbands dangling from both of her wrists.

"Ready to go?" I ask her excitedly.

"Yep!" She chirps before sticking her head back inside. "Bye Cheese! Mom, I'm going for my flying lesson! We'll be back later!"

"Now Cream, don't forget to put on some chap stick! You don't want your lips to get cracked!" Ms. Vanilla calls from what sounds like the kitchen.

"Mom!" Cream turns and looks at me, rolling her eyes quickly.

She hurriedly heads out and closes the door quietly behind her.

Cream seems so enthusiastic about this that she's almost shaking. I almost wonder if she's going to be able to climb up the retractable ladder that leads to the cockpit.

We both make it inside though without much trouble.

"Uhh…Tails?" She inquires.

"Yeah?"

"There's only one seat. How are we going to do this? I thought I would be like the co-pilot for a while or something first…"

"Nahh…C'mon Cream! You'll be a natural. Let me sit down here." I settle into the seat and usher for her to sit down in front of me.

She nods seriously, almost as if she's trying to convince herself to overcome some fear.

She wiggles into the space between me and the steering wheel that extends from the dashboard.

"What about all these buttons Tails? I didn't study or anything." She sounds almost embarrassed.

"Don't worry about it Cream! We'll start off easy and after a few lessons, you won't even have to look before you touch. You'll know the buttons by memory in no time." I try to reassure her. "I even labeled a few of them for you."

I point to the landing gear release, throttle, and emergency ejection buttons that have tiny orange sticky notes attached just beneath each one.

"Now Cream, are you ready?"

I raise my eyebrows at her.

"Yes?" She says, totally unsure of what's about to happen.

"Take a deep breath and put your hands on the wheel." I instruct her.

She does so as I hear her exhale.

"Now, take this handle and push it all the way forward."

She seemingly gets a burst of confidence as she smashes the red tipped handle all the way to end of the column.

We're both thrown back in our seats as the X Tornado roars to life and sprints off, rising into the air above the canyons that lead to the Mystic Ruins.

I nervously take her hand and show her how to guide the accelerator back. We settle in at a good cruising speed of about 90 miles per hour.

"I got you a pair of goggles to wear too…if you want them I mean." I abruptly offer her as we coast along against the subtly changing colors of the sky.

"Orange! My favorite color! Thank you so much Tails! But why do we need to wear them?" She asks as she moves her fingers around the edges of the crudely painted orange rims of the goggles.

I can't paint in a straight line. I'm no artist!

"They're to keep your eyes from burning if you fly with the top open." I tell her. "Wanna try?"

"Sure!"

I put on my black goggles before making sure Cream has hers in place. I reach my arm around her and press in and hold down a small green switch on the control panel beside our seat.

The glass dome that surrounds the cockpit makes a barely noticeable mechanical squeal as it retracts over the top of us.

I take a deep breath and taste the deliciously fresh air as we continue to coast away from the canyons and out across the bay.

I idle back the engine so that we're only going about forty miles an hour.

"It's all yours!" I tell her as I release my hands from hers and let her be in charge of the steering completely.

She makes tons of tiny adjustments, determined to keep the plane on a perfectly straight path.

I smile to myself as she wrinkles her forehead in concentration.

"Want to go faster again?" I ask her coyly with my hand on the throttle.

"Since when did you become such a speed demon?" She turns to look at me for a split second with a smirk on her face.

"I guess I've been around Sonic for a little too long!"

We both giggle a little at this.

"Nahh, I like where we're at right now." Cream shakes her head and glances back at me with a smile before quickly turning to look ahead again.

Even though I had been holding her hands in mine before, I suddenly feel unsure about where to rest them. I settle on keeping them against the sides of the seat, not wanting to interrupt Cream's piloting.

"Look at the clouds Tails! It's like an explosion of fire and stars and….grape juice!"

"Grape juice?" I repeat.

"Well…I couldn't think of anything else that's purple!" She responds and gently jerks her shoulders back to bump into me.

I almost shake as I do it, but I wrap my arms around her stomach and hold her tight against me.

"You're a really good teacher Tails." She whispers while still looking ahead, taking a glance at the compass mounted at the top of the dashboard.

"Nahh….you're just a natural." I reply.

We sit quietly, with only the gentle humming of the Tornado's engine breaking the silence.

"Look!" I tell her as I notice movement out toward the horizon.

Four shiny, silver dolphins splash into the air before slipping back beneath the surface.

"Wow! They're so pretty Tails!"

"There they go again!"

We almost have to crane our necks down, taking our eyes off the sky for a few seconds, as we fly above where the dolphins are playing.

As we coast on ahead, the impending darkness begins to make it harder to see.

"Ok Cream, time to go back inside!" I tell her in my best mock teacher voice.

I close the dome over us again and turn on the lights on the main compartment and wings of the plane.

"Ker-Splash!"

It's a good thing we closed the dome or we would've been soaked. A huge explosion of water douses the plane from below.

"What was that?" Cream shouts.

A screeching, searing squeal shoots by us as I see rocket smoke speed ahead before a small blast rocks the sky.

"Hang on Cream, let me take over!"

I realize I was totally off guard, as I didn't have the X Tornado's radar on for this flight.

I make as sharp a turn as I can and just manage to see a small black jet, about half the size of the X Tornado, zip by me.

"Hold on!" I shout.

I throw the throttle to the max again, slamming both of us back because of the sudden acceleration. I hit my head against the seat and Cream hits her head against my chest.

The engine roars as I speed ahead, only to see the black jet with sharp, crossed metal wings barreling right at us.

I immediately pull up and soar higher, not wanting to take a chance with Cream here.

The black fighter's cockpit is so tinted, I can't make out who's flying it.

"Are you okay, Cream?" I ask her quickly.

"Uh-huh." She replies without turning to look at me.

I try to speed out further over the water, but the radar blinks more rapidly as the jet is closing in on us from further behind.

Without a second thought, I smash a series of yellow buttons on the dashboard, firing a few homing missiles in the direction of the jet.

I see the heat signals of my attack appear on the radar, but they disappear almost as quickly, as the black jet shoots them down with tracking rockets of its own.

I flip on the radio and check the frequency to make sure it's correct.

"This is the X Tornado. Why are you attacking us? Identify yourself. Now!" I demand in a voice so strong, I surprise myself.

There is no reply as the black jet zips beneath us and starts to circle around again.

"He's faster than us Cream, but hopefully we can out maneuver him."

I max out the engine once more as I zip along the edge of the cliffs, closer to the shore.

I hear the crackling of rounds of bullets he's firing that are crackling against the X Tornado's armor.

I see an opening out of the corner of my right eye and hurriedly dive in a canyon, hoping to lose him.

I hear a loud series of explosions behind me as I see the black jet's signal encroaching on the radar.

"Cream, when I say go, push the grey button on the panel by your right foot, okay?"

"Okay." She tells me seriously.

The black jet is within a few hundred feet now.

It launches another series of rockets that I fire down with anti-homing missiles launched from the X Tornado's wings.

"Go!"

Cream confidently smashes the button that releases a series of smoke bombs from the X Tornado's rear hull.

We continue to speed ahead as we emerge from the canyon.

I head back over land, all the while keeping an eye on the radar, as I try to decide what to do next.

"Who was that Tails?" She asks me.

"I have no idea." I tell her, not hiding the worry in my voice. "I think he must've lost us though."

"Let's go back to my place. I want to put the Tornado back in the hangar, just in case whoever that was is looking for us."

"Beep BeepBeep BeepBeepBeep!" The radar suddenly sounds the alarm as a plane is coming up from behind us again.

"He's back Tails!"

"Alright then, if he wants a dogfight, I'll give him one!" I snarl as we tear through the sky above a ravine.

I dive and swoop, managing to avoid or shoot down the rockets being launched by this black jet.

The radar continues to sound though as it continues to close the gap between us.

I spin right and cut the speed to almost nothing, gaining the advantage by being behind this other plane now.

I launch a firestorm of eight massive missiles from each wing of the X Tornado, emptying our supply. They all lock onto the black jet that is already trying to turn and run.

"Warning! Engine malfunction eminent! Cooling systems are no longer operating properly."

"No!" I gasp as I see the engine temperature rising quickly.

"Tails! Look!" Cream shrieks.

I pull my gaze away from the engine panel and see the black jet surrounded by an orange, sphere-like shield.

All the rockets I launched are reflecting off the shield and coming back toward us.

I frantically try to override the computer, but I can't get the X Tornado to pick up any speed.

"Cream!" My mind tries to stay in control, but the rest of me wants to panic. "Don't look down!"

"What?" She gasps.

One of the rockets explodes as it annihilates the right wing of the X Tornado on contact.

"Ahhhhh!" I hear Cream yell as I press the ejection button, launching us wildly into the air.

Another explosion suddenly reverberates through the air right below me.

I reflexively close my eyes, but suddenly feel myself spiraling downward, away from Cream.

"Tails!" I faintly hear Cream's screams as countless more explosions engulf me.

_**(Cream's POV)**_

I try to run back toward where I think I came from, but I'm too woozy. I start to sprint, but quickly end up on the ground. My head throbs, but I'm not even focusing on that. All I can think of is Tails and seeing him disappear into those flames.

I make myself close my eyes and take a few deep breaths before trying to move again. My clothes are dirty, but only because I could barely keep myself from collapsing as I fluttered to the ground.

I flap my ears as fast as I can, feeling a burst of adrenaline and fear course through my veins. I see smoke still lingering in the air on a cliff near the edge of the canyon.

The blast and the ejection seat from the plane shot me so far away, it's taken me a while to get back.

I force myself to fly faster and quickly find myself on the cliff's edge. I look out and don't see any trace of the black jet or Tails.

Just a few mangled pieces of metal from the X Tornado teetering near the edge.

"Tails? Tails! TAILS?" I cry out as I sprint toward what's left of the plane.

I narrow my eyes as I try to force myself not to cry.

As I step closer to what looks like it was part of the wing, I see a loud, charcoal black envelope neatly propped against it with a piece of mint candy attached on the outside.

I hastily grab it and rip open the envelope.

A slide out a thick, milk colored folding card and look at its message.

**If you want to see Tails again, bring your Chao to the waterfall in the Mystic Ruins at 11 p.m. tonight. And don't even think about getting Sonic to help, or your little fox friend gets it! **

**Got it?**

I don't know whether to cry in relief or fear, but I know this must mean Tails is okay!

For now at least. I think sorrowfully.

Who could've done this? I continue to wonder as I look over the message again.

It must be Robotnik. I fume angrily.

"But wait," I whisper aloud as I look at the wrapped piece of green and white candy that was attached to the envelope. "Robotnik wouldn't know or even care that Tails' favorite food is spearmint."

I feel the hard candy between my fingers.

The strong, sweet smell tingles against my nose even through the wax wrapping.

Who could've done this? And why do they want Tails? I think, hearing my voice shake, even though it's just in my mind.

I tear up the card and fling the pieces of paper into the air.

Most of them get caught up in the breeze and whirl around away from me.

I slide the mint into a small pocket on my right leg before sprinting off toward the cliff and launching myself into the air. I fly back at a feverish pace toward my house.

I'll get you back Tails! I think fiercely as the waves lap at the rocks below. Even if I have to do it all by myself!

**To Be Continued…**

Let me know any suggestions or comments you have. They are greatly appreciated! Thanks very much and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	2. Holy Chao!

**Chapter 2: Holy Chao!**

_(Cream's POV)_

"Cream dear, you are you alright? You ran straight to your room when you came in the door. Did your lesson go okay?" Mom asks from the other side of the closed door.

That's because I didn't want you to see the dirt on my clothes! I think sarcastically as I twist my face while I look at the door as if it was actually Mother herself.

"It was fine Mom. Tails was a…good teacher." I say, almost whimpering.

"Okay, honey." She replies before pausing. "I made a nice salad that's on the bottom shelf in the fridge for a snack later if you want it."

"Thanks Mom." I tell her warmly.

"Let me know if there's anything wrong, okay sweetie?"

"I will Mom."

I hear her soft footsteps quietly tap down the stairs as they fade away.

I look at the clock by my bed and see that I've only got an hour to go before I need to be at the waterfall.

"Cheese?" I ask, suddenly wondering where he went.

I haven't even mentioned to him what's going on yet.

"Chao?"

He sticks his head out from under the bed.

"C'mere Cheese."

I feel my face frown as I pat the side of the bed.

Noticing my concern, he quickly slides out and glides to my side.

"We have to go save Tails, okay? But I'm really scared." I tell him. "They want me to bring you and I don't know why."

"Chao Chao!"

Cheese turns serious and nods firmly.

"I'll make sure nothing happens to you or Tails!" I say, more to myself than to Cheese.

I change into khaki shorts and a dark grey shirt and put on the orange running shoes Sonic got me for Christmas last year.

"Ready to go?" I ask as I quietly slide up the window from my second floor room.

A few stray crickets chirp sporadically as the unusually bright moonlight gleams gently across the field around our house.

Cheese gives me another nod before we fly out the window and toward the Mystic Ruins.

I don't understand. I think nervously as I click on my cell phone to see that it's 10:55. Where is he?

The waterfall flows steadily, partially concealing a cave about halfway down from the top of the cliff. The lake below gurgles as the water from above mixes in smoothly.

A small blue light from the cave catches my attention as it slowly grows brighter.

I feel my heart thump loudly as I tense my legs and arms.

The waterfall suddenly separates as I see two figures leap out, easily crossing the lake and landing on top of a small slope above me.

"Shade! Shadow! Where's Tails?" I call out to them.

"I see you brought your little soul carrier." Shade snarls at me. "You're not as stupid as I thought you were."

I narrow my eyebrows at the echidna.

"You were the one flying that plane?" I ask her intently. "Why were you after Tails?"

"We were using him to get to you." Shade says simply.

Her head armor makes it look like she has the horns of a ram. Her pink wrist and ankle bands glow intensely.

"Get to me? Why? Where is he Shadow?" I demand, turning to face him.

"You really did a good job, keeping it a secret for so long, you know? I'll give you credit for that much." Shadow replies as he glares straight at me.

"What are you talking about?" I snap back as I make sure Cheese is right beside me.

"Don't play games with me little girl! I know what Chao really are! Tikal herself told me!"

"What are you talking about? Chao are Chao! Simple as that!"

"Stop lying! You know very well that Chao are actually the resurrection of souls of the dead among us!" Shade sneers as she takes off her helmet.

Her deep orange colored locks flip loosely over her shoulders.

I gasp out loud, reflexively reaching to cover my mouth.

"That can't be." I feel the anger rising in my throat. "You're the one that's lying! Tikal would never say anything like that! Everyone knows that Chao are animals! They're living creatures just like everyone else!"

"I want her back! And I need your Chao to do it!" Shadow's words burst out.

He must be talking about Maria. I think sorrowfully. But why does he think Chao have anything to do with her?

A short green glow appears around Shadow before he vanishes.

"Look out Cheese!" I warn him as I jump back and up into the air.

Cheese flaps his wings fiercely and stays close by me.

Shadow suddenly reappears in mid-air with his chaos control, but since we were already moving, it was easy enough to avoid him.

"I thought you changed Shadow! I thought we really got through to you!" I tell him as I stay in the air in case he decides to come at us again.

"Whether or not you believe it you little fool, Chao are the embodiment of souls of the dead! Think about it! No one, not even Tikal herself, ever knew exactly where Chao came from. No one has ever been able to find a habitat where Chao are created on their own or in the wild." Shade smirks as she stares at me with her powerful purple eyes.

The nerve of that girl! I can't believe she called me a fool!

"But Chao are hatched from eggs all the time!" I counter. "That's where Chao come from!"

"Now I know you're lying about that Cream. Where did your little Cheese come from? An egg? I don't think so!"

I cower a little at Shade seeing through me that easily.

"Where did Cheese come from Cream? Tell us." Shadow grins at me sinisterly as he stands on the ground, looking up at me. "Now!"

"Never!" I tell him.

It feels like he's boring holes through me as he continues to stare intently at my eyes.

"I…can't." I continue. "I can't tell you…that. I can't tell…anyone. I don't want to!"

"Frankly, I don't care where the hell you got him from. I just know that you will give him to us. Right now!" Shade says as she begins to walk down the short, spiraling slope toward the base of the waterfall where Shadow is standing.

"Why do you want Cheese? What could he possibly have that you would want?"

"I'm going to use him to help Shadow bring Maria back to life!" Shade says as she arrogantly looks away from me, sounding like she knows everything about everything.

"Shadow, you have to listen to me! You can't bring Maria back! Shade must be tricking you to get something she wants! Don't you remember? You should honor Maria by the way you live! That's what she would wan—."

"Don't you dare tell me what Maria would want!" Shadow roars as he leaps at me.

I barely manage to twist out of the way as he propels himself through the air.

"Chaos Spear!" Shadow quickly turns and flings a wild blast of energy at me.

I zip around as fast as I can, narrowly avoiding his disorganized attacks.

"Chao!" Cheese smartly notices how distracted Shadow is and smacks into his left cheek.

The collision stuns Shadow for just a moment, but it's long enough for me to gather enough speed to approach him and deliver a roundhouse kick to his face.

"Gahhh!" He reaches for what will hopefully be a broken cheekbone as I send him flying backward.

"Shadow, stop it! Aren't you forgetting we've already got little Cream in the palm of our hands, even if she doesn't know it."

"Hmph." Shadow pulls his hand away from his cheek.

I see a large bruise forming against his muzzle.

"You've become a much better fighter Cream, there's no doubt about that. But I don't think your heart is ready to make the kind of decision you're about to have to deal with."

I hesitantly flutter to the ground, keeping my distance from the black hedgehog and clay colored echidna.

"You have thirty seconds to hand over your Chao to me or…" Shade starts calmly.

"Or what?" I cut her off.

"Tails will die. Simple as that." She shrugs.

My stomach sinks as I hear his name mentioned.

At least he's alive! I think with a little relief, if only for a moment.

"I don't believe you!" I call Shade's bluff.

"Oh no? Take a look for yourself." She pushes button on her armored helmet, causing the visor to glow and receive a signal.

She roughly tosses it in my direction.

I catch it just as the picture is coming into focus. It's hard to make out the surface, but…

Tails! I see Tails!

His sunflower colored fur and his white tipped tails! His blue eyes! He is okay! I gasp in shock though as I see the camera scan over his body. His arms and legs are strapped at the wrists and ankles.

"He's strapped to the wall of a small reservoir on the other side of the cave behind that waterfall. When I signal them, one of my knights will blast a containment dam that is holding back the water."

I quickly glance around the rim of the canyon to see if there's more of her army of black clad knights, but I can't make anyone out.

"The water will rush in and he will die what I imagine would be a slow, scary, painful, and lonely death." Shade comments coldly as she looks at me with one raised eyebrow.

"No…" I feel myself weaken as I want to collapse to the ground.

I steel myself and try to fiercely stare back at her as best I can as I fling her visor off to the side. It rattles around on the ground as it rolls to a stop.

"It really is that simple Cream. Hand over your Chao or your friend will die, because of you!" Shadow taunts me.

"What are you going to do with Cheese?" I snap at them.

He clings tightly to my arm as I give him a quick, reassuring pet.

"Oh, we're going to extract the soul from inside him to help bring Maria back to life. You'll never see him again."

"I'm not giving him to you!" I say simply.

"Then you'd better get a good look at your fox friend there! Cuz it's the last time you'll see him alive!"

"I won't let that happen!" I say, narrowing my eyes to fight off the tears welling up in them.

"You can only save one, Cream. You'd better hurry up and decide who it's gonna be." Shade tells me.

"Thirty….twenty-nine…twenty-eight…"

I hear her start the countdown as it feels like my life and Tails' are both slipping away.

**Chapter 2 End**

**Will Cream have to sacrifice one of her friends to save another? And what's all this about where Chao really come from and where Cream really got Cheese? Find out more next time!**

**Author's Note:** Just wanted to point out that when Cream references what happened with Shadow before earlier in this chapter (and that he should 'remember'), she is talking about something that happened in an old story called Chao Down that I wrote. You don't need to have read it to understand this story. I just thought it tied in well, but I didn't want to confuse anyone.

Also, it's been a long time since I played Sonic Chronicles, so I hope I remembered what Shade looks like okay.

Let me know what you guys think. Thanks very much for the comments and I hope you enjoyed it.


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